


Just come to me

by seafoamist



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Actors, Cameraman!Keith, Drama, Friendship/Love, M/M, Pining Keith (Voltron), Romance, Shyness, Socially Awkward Keith (Voltron), Unrequited Crush, actor!shiro, so much pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-09
Updated: 2018-02-09
Packaged: 2019-03-15 19:37:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13620303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seafoamist/pseuds/seafoamist
Summary: Keith focused on Shiro, unconsciously changing the zoom so it was closer on him than the others. His arms were crossed over his chest, and were shaking with the vibration of his laughter. His eyes were lightly closed, crinkling around the corners in that attractive way only very specific older men could pull off. Chewing on the inside of his cheek, Keith barely bit back a smile of his own.





	Just come to me

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! :) Soo this is my very first time posting anything for my beloved Sheith ;////; I absolutely ADORE both Keith AND Shiro so much, like I never thought I would end up loving them this hard when I first started watching Voltron! The fandom has been an absolutely pleasure so far and all my fellow Sheithians are so lovely I feel lucky to be part of this group ;U; so here is my little contribution for you all~ 
> 
> Title and song lyrics mentioned credit to Homme's song 'Just come to me'. The MV for this song actually helped inspire this fic, so check it out if you'd like a visual image in your head! Hope you enjoy :)

_Why can’t we?_

_Why can’t you come to me?_

_I don’t know how to calculate, I don’t know how to play games_

_I just want you_

*

Shiro always looked ready for the camera, in his small opinion. It was probably one of many reasons he was so well suited to acting, and he was so comfortable in front of a camera. No awkwardness or shyness at all. Even in moments like this, when Keith was capturing loose footage whilst Shiro was having his film make-up applied, he smiled easy and made small talk with the make-up artist.

“Hey, mullet!” Lance squawked, and on reflex Keith moved with his camera to capture the other instead.

“I know Shiro’s the main guy, but he’s not the only eye candy ‘round here,” Tossing his head back, Lance aimed a dazzling smile at the camera and shot his finger guns at him. Keith struggled against the urge to eye roll.

“Oh, stop acting so precious. Someone’s jealous he didn’t get voted most popular character, hm?” Allura’s voice echoed somewhere in the background.

“I’m just saying! It can’t hurt to spare some screen time to us less popular people,” Lance pouted, but was still looking at the camera, “You know, for the fans that actually love me,”

Keith didn’t say anything, but didn’t let the camera stray back to Shiro again. Lance was right, after all. He needed to collect footage of the other main actors and actresses, for the special features that the director wanted included on the DVD when it was released.

*

As everyone was preparing to start the scene, Keith was already set and raring to go. Deciding not to waste his time, he did some free filming. Sometimes it was good to do this, just to ‘warm himself up’ so to speak. He played around with his zoom and focusing, catching the golden rays of sunlight falling across the warm interior of the living room they were filming in.

And then, he was focusing in on Shiro. Catching the sharp angles of his jawline, the soft fluffiness of his hair in the natural lighting, and the solid but strong planes of his body as he sat against the arm of a lounge chair.

Glancing up, Shiro caught sight of the camera and blinked. Then, he raised a hand and waved with a smile. With his free hand, Keith managed a small and embarrassed wave back, and inadvertently caught the attention of Lance who was seated next to Shiro. Upon spotting the camera, Lance’s eyes narrowed and he pulled his eyelids up and made a ridiculous face. Beside him, Shiro was chuckling, and Keith rolled his eyes and turned the camera away.

His camera was also a shield. He didn’t have to always be behind it, but Keith liked it. For as long as he could hold one in his hands, Keith was exploring and capturing the world around him, an inhabitant of that world but rarely a participant of life.

“And, action,” said Allura, stepping back and already observing with sharp eyes.

“Why are you so stubborn?” he demanded, tall and imposing, frowning face and tightly drawn brows glaring down at Parvana.

Tossing her hair back, she stared back up at him without fear, “I learned it from you. Going in head first even when I know that I'm going to get hurt.”

“I don’t care what my mother says, or who she says it to. Do you finally get that?” She questioned, fearlessly fierce.

Shiro sighed, slow and steady as if he had had this conversation countless times before, “Family is family, no matter what. Don’t widen the wound, let it scar.”

“You’re right, Junbei. Family is family, and you don’t abandon family,” reaching down, she clasped both his hands and pulled them up close to her chest, “I won’t abandon you.”

“And, cut.”

“That was good, I have a few notes,” Allura flicked over the page of her notepad, the two actors drawn in a circle around her.

Deciding to capture some footage for behind-the-scenes episodes, he pans the camera over to them, zooming in closely on Shiro and Parvana. His brows were furrowed and close together, serious and attentive to the notes Allura was giving them. No matter what his expression was, Shiro was hopelessly handsome.

*

“Hey, Keith,” Shiro greeted him, friendly as always.

Keith was behind his camera, having it turned on but muted so his conversation with Shiro would not be recorded. Footage of Shiro was very much sought after, although it was preferred that he be seen as, so Allura had eloquently phrased it, ‘completely unattainable yet completely irresistible’.

“Hey,” he replied, frowning at how stupid he sounded.

“Filming at night really is different, don’t you think?” said Shiro, then taking a long sip out of his water bottle and tilting his head back. It was a very striking shot, with his head tipped back and his Adam’s apple bobbing under the light of the stars.

“It’s colder, if that’s what you mean,” offered Keith, giving a light shrug and startling slightly at Shiro’s responding chuckle.

“There’s that,” Shiro nodded to him, smiling and setting the hairs along Keith’s arms on edge. Silently, he was grateful he’d worn his long-sleeved jacket tonight.

“I was thinking that it’s a lot quieter, more peaceful. Seems like your kind of scene,”

“I do like it out here,” he agreed, looking away from his camera lens for a moment to cast his eyes upwards. He could never get tired of looking at the stars, no matter how old he got.

Shiro started to say, “You should really–”

“Shiro! C’mon! We’re having a quick warm-up!” Ricardo yelled, waving him down as he gathered with the others in a circle.

“Guess that’s my cue. See you later,” With a wave and a dazzling smile, Shiro was gone.

*

Another day, another shift spent filming. Keith didn’t usually mind, since he loved his job and doing what he did. It was just so hot today, and they were filming outside and Keith just had very little tolerance for the heat in general. Thankfully, everyone was on their lunch break so Keith took some much needed respite in the shade.

“Here,”

Keith jumped, eyes shot open wider as he looked to his left and saw Shiro.

Said man was standing casually by his side, arm outstretched and offering a plate. _Food from the snack table_ , some voice said in the back of Keith’s mind.

“You look a little pale, so I thought you would like something to eat,” Shiro smiled at him, and Keith gulped. He cringed at how loud it was, and randomly decided to cover it up with some coughing. It was a good plan, at least until he choked on his spit and the fake coughing became real.

“Hey, you okay? Let’s get you some water, first,” Putting the plate down on a chair, Shiro walked away and quickly returned with a water bottle in hand. Handing it to Keith, the other took it and chugged down as much as he could.

“Thanks,” Keith rasped, handing back the bottle and loathing how his face burned right up to his hairline.

“Don’t worry about it, are you alright?” Shiro tilted his head in concern, patting lightly at Keith’s back until his coughing stopped.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just–the air in Tokyo, I guess,” Keith mumbled, glancing off to the side and trying not to flinch away out of existence. Any physical contact with Shiro always made him feel off-balance and shy – since he wasn’t used to casual touches in the first place, he worried he would do something wrong so didn’t end up doing a thing.

“Oh, yeah. It’s pretty overwhelming, especially on hot days like today,” pinching the fabric of his cotton shirt, Shiro pulled the material back and forth in a fanning motion to cool himself. Keith stared a moment longer than appropriate, then settled for a small nod.

“Eating this might help you feel better,” the plate of food was back in Shiro’s hands, offered to Keith who now took a chance to inspect it. There were chunks of rock melon and watermelon, as well as some orange wedges and salty crackers with cheese cubes off to the side. It was a light and healthy assortment – just what Keith would have picked out for himself.

“That’s nice of you, Shiro, but us crew members aren’t supposed to eat anything from the snack table,” he attempted an apologetic smile, and shrugged his shoulders lightly.

“Oh, I see,” Shiro’s eyebrows knitted together, then separated as his expression lifted and he continued, “Well, that’s fine since this is my food, but I can’t finish it.”

Keith had seen what Shiro typically ate from the snack table, and it looked nothing like what was in that plate. Usually, Shiro would go for something sweet and quick, like a custard tart or a jelly cup and every day he’d filmed with him Keith had seen him drinking a coffee – hot or iced. From what Keith gathered, he didn’t like eating much when he was on set and only did so when they were filming for hours to a day. This plate was full and carefully selected, and didn’t look like it had been touched at all.

Was Shiro, maybe, looking out for _him?_

“Would you help me out, Keith? I’d hate for it to go to waste,” offering the plate anew, Shiro encouraged him with an open smile and clear, bright eyes. Before he could process his actions, Keith was reaching forward to accept it.

“Thanks,” said Keith, his heart beat pulsing in his ears when their fingers brushed and he took the plate, “I really appreciate it.”

“All good,” Shiro waved a hand in the air, and a small smile tugged at Keith’s lips.

*

“Nadia,” Lance called, an expression of seriousness on his face Keith had only ever seen whilst filming for the drama. Despite his personality, Lance really applied himself when it came to getting in character.

“Are you sure? Do you really think he’s worth all this?”

“I don’t think, I know,” she replied, smiling affectionately and raising her eyes to the sky, “I always believed something was waiting for me, that I’d just have to get there and it would be waiting.”

Levelling her gaze once more to Lance, she said with resolve, “But, I can’t keep waiting around. With him, us two together, we can take whatever’s coming. As long as we’re together, I can keep thinking that.”

“Hey, all ready to go?” Shiro asked, waltzing on scene and darting his eyes between the two.

Lance didn’t say anything, but gave an affirmative nod in Shiro’s direction. Then, he walked off with his hands in his pockets. With Shiro and Parvana left alone, Shiro turned to face her fully and had the face of a man strengthened by love.

“Just stay by me,” placing his hand gently atop her head, Shiro slowly stroked down her hair as the wind blew, “I won’t let anyone get to you,”

“Isn’t that supposed to be my line?” Parvana countered, smirking impishly up at him and gently laying her hand on his cheek.

The scene ended, and everyone was given a short break.

Picking his camera up, Keith decided a film walkabout was in order whilst the actors and actresses were on break and the crew was fiddling with lighting and equipment. There was a light breeze, but nothing major so he didn’t have to worry about wind noise in the background. He plodded along the footpath, his camera raised to capture the busy streets of Tokyo traffic. Despite how they had some areas cordoned off due to filming, the traffic was still alive and bustling. Not being particularly fond of excess noise, Keith didn’t hold much to this scene. However, there was some strange beauty in the consistency of it all, of the traffic lights changing and the lanes merging, of people always moving and having somewhere to be.

Eventually, as if being pulled by an invisible string, the camera turned and Shiro was in view. He was standing over near the curb, with Lance, Parvana and Ricardo. Silently, Keith watched their exchange, capturing it from a distance. Lance was saying something, making a sweeping gesture with his hands and then leaning in and speaking in a hushed voice. Then, Ricardo made a face and said something, and everyone laughed. Keith focused on Shiro, unconsciously changing the zoom so it was closer on him than the others. His arms were crossed over his chest, and were shaking with the vibration of his laughter. His eyes were lightly closed, crinkling around the corners in that attractive way only very specific older men could pull off. Chewing on the inside of his cheek, Keith barely bit back a smile of his own. Shiro looked really nice when he smiled his own smile, instead of his actor smile. It was disappointing to him that he could barely count the times he’s made Shiro genuinely smile in his presence on one hand.

Pulling him in suddenly, Parvana smiled prettily up at her phone and Shiro retroactively leaned in close to her as well for a random selfie. His smile was warm, the light hitting his eyes and making them shine. A few snaps and it was over, and Shiro pulled back, but only slightly.

As if sensing the camera on him, Shiro looked over to him and Keith faltered. Quicker than he intended to, he jerked the camera away to focus on something else. The ground was his first option, a blur of gravelly pebbles beneath his feet and filming equipment sticking out in the corners. Readjusting, he shifted up to capture the plum blossom trees lining the pathway. Their petals were rolling off, caught in the gentle pull of the wind.

Keith wasn’t naïve. He knew where he stood, what his role was. The camera guy didn’t get in the way, captured only the best shots, seen and not heard. It was fine, it was how he liked it. But that didn’t negate the fact that looking at Shiro, filming scenes with him and his _love interest,_ laughing with him – that was all going to hurt him. Was hurting him, had been for a while now. It was stupid, but it still hurt.

The whole thing was embarrassing, despite how nobody else knew about it.

Whenever Shiro was in a scene, he would jolt and scramble to make sure he was filming correctly, that he was paying attention to the angles and the scene and not the man within it all. Seeing him on screen and in real life, Keith was stuck every time. He was right there, right in front of him, but he was so untouchable. There was no way for Keith to ever close that distance on his own, he would feel foolish and crass. No better than the hundreds of fans Shiro encountered every day, a speck on the windshield of his crystal clear life. Keith didn’t want that, didn’t want to become just another fan to him. He wanted more, but who the hell was he to want that?

But, it was all he wanted. For Shiro to come to him, to be with him. He wanted it like nothing before, a burning and itching flaring in his chest and unable to calm down. Walling in the depth of his feelings was a challenging task, one he had painstakingly built over many weeks and months. Brick by brick, he had constructed it. Every touch, every smile, he had kept at a firm distance from himself and his wall. Yet, now he didn’t have the strength to maintain it, to fight against his feelings. He admitted it, he liked Shiro. Liked him so very much, it was painful.

*

Quicker than he thought possible, the final day of filming for the drama snuck up on Keith. When he woke up that morning, for a few blissful moments Keith didn’t remember it. It was just another day of filming, nothing new, there would be plenty more to–

Then, he remembered.

Keith didn’t cry, but a distinct melancholy enveloped him as he lay in his messy sheets. This was it. After today, he would no longer be able to see Shiro. No more early morning shoots, when they were all sleepy as hell but Shiro’s smile was as warm as ever. No more chats with Shiro in between scenes, soaking up everything the older man said like a sponge and in turn appreciating how Shiro simply listened to him. No more butterflies, or hot and flushed cheeks, or stolen glances.

In a strange way, Keith felt relief. Leaving Shiro, whilst hard as it may be, would mark the start of Keith’s attempt to move on. Although he couldn’t see that happening anytime soon, Keith figured he had to start somewhere.

With that as his resolve, Keith approached this day as he did most things in life, head on. From the time he arrived at the location for the final scene, to the time Allura called the final cut, Keith performed his job as well as he ever did. He didn’t err or waver, even as his heart shook whenever the camera caught onto Shiro. It was over. And Shiro was heading his way. He took a deep breath to calm himself.

“Last day of filming, I can’t believe it!” Shiro announced, his eyes tired but a smile curling his lips all the same.

“Yeah, we finally made it,” answered Keith, finishing packing up his camera and loading it onto the truck. Shiro helped him, holding one end as they hefted it up and making the task vastly easier.

“It was a great ride. One of the better dramas I’ve worked in for a long time,” Shiro dusted his hands and cast his gaze out over the cast and crew that remained, all of them smiling and laughing freely. Keith could relate – nothing beat the high of finishing a series with a good group of people.

“Some of us are heading out for a celebratory lunch, and I heard that Allura is the one paying,” Shiro smiled at him then, a rarer, mischievous smile Keith was certain many would fawn over.

“Care to join us?” he asked, turning hopefully towards Keith.

“That sounds nice, really. But, I don’t think I can,” Keith lied through his teeth, and he felt an awful clawing in the pit of his stomach.

“Oh,” Shiro frowned, a troubled look cast in the dipping of his eyebrows and Keith felt guiltier than he should. It was a lunch invitation, not a ticket to paradise! _That’s not fair,_ he lamented, pursing his lips.

Why did Shiro have to look so disappointed? Why did his disappointed face have to make Keith feel sad too?

“That’s a shame, the others wanted you to come,” he elaborated, but his words weren’t so much the problem but the way he said it. Somehow, it sounded so personal.

“And I suppose, I…really want you to come,” then, a pink hue bloomed in Shiro’s cheeks, his smile with a sad lilt to it that would tug at anyone’s heartstrings.

“Shiro,” Keith was stunned, staring into the eyes he had only ever seen looking somewhere else.

Was this really happening? Was this happening to him, _right now?_ Just when Keith had been preparing himself to say goodbye, to walk away without looking back. And then, this! This unpredictable, heart-stopping moment that Keith had given up fantasizing over weeks ago. He wanted to speak, to say something more, but it was like the words were stuck in his throat.

Clearing his throat, Shiro tucked his hands in his pockets and shrugged in a light-hearted manner, “It’s okay. Maybe some other time, huh?”

“Shiro, wait!”

_I’ll come to you._

“I-I’ll come.”

_So please, just come to me._

“You will?”

“Yeah,” Keith replied, uncharacteristically shy and glancing down, “It’d be fun to catch up with everyone.”

“Maybe, we can also get a-a coffee sometime? Together?” he asked, cheeks warming at his own forwardness.

Keith could hardly believe the words were coming out of his mouth, but Shiro’s sincere care for him had made it impossible to keep pretending.

“I’d love to,” Shiro said, earnest and smiling so beautifully at him, at Keith of all people.

“Uh, great,” mumbled Keith, self-consciousness overtaking him all of a sudden.

“Come on, we’d better get going. I can give you a ride if you like,” Shiro’s hand had reached out, open and waiting for Keith.

That was when he realised: Shiro hadn’t broken down his walls, he had waited for Keith to find him a door. He would always have his walls – he couldn’t tear them down so easily. It had never occurred to him that someone might not want him to. That someone might accept his walls were there, that they were part of him. Not once had Shiro ever asked him to change, he didn’t want him to.

“Yeah, thanks,” Keith gave a small smile, stepping forward and allowing Shiro’s hand to rest lightly at his back.

His stomach was performing somersaults at an incredible rate, almost making him nauseous but he persevered. There was no way he’d miss out on lunch because of nerves, of all things.

**Author's Note:**

> Aww, I'm a sucker for a happy ending *wipes tears and smiles*


End file.
